We Come to You, Lord

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.”

Psalm 42:1-4 NIV

I live in a country where I have the freedom to decide what religion, church, synagogue, or temple I choose to worship in. As a Christian, my choice is to believe in and worship Jesus Christ. When I made that choice, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in me and guide me—a true gift from God. The Lord is always with me wherever I am.

But I also choose to worship the Lord in church—the space designated to openly praise Him with fellow believers. While I know that I can’t “find” God in a building, I can feel His presence as He is worshiped with prayer, praise, and song. It’s a place of reverence that can be felt every time I intentionally walk through its doors. The writer of Psalm 42 was exiled from his place of worship and heartbroken over not being able to worship in the Lord’s house. I can’t even imagine what that would feel like.

When my son was just a toddler, I took him into a Catholic Church near our home when we were out for a walk one day. As there was no one else in the church at the time, we walked around and when he saw the Crucifix, he put his finger up to his lips and whispered, “Shh, we’ll come back when he wakes up.” Looking back on that day I see reverence in the purest form.

My prayer today is that I never lose the reverence I feel towards the Lord when I walk into my church--- much like my son had all those years ago.

But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence toward your holy temple.

Psalm 5:7